Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 29, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 29, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we
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  Speaker 1: begin with stark new numbers from British universities, where a
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  Speaker 1: report by the Community Security Trust, or CSD, indicates antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: remains significantly elevated. According to the CSD's Campus Antisemitism in
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  Speaker 1: Britain 2024-2026 dossier, 178 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded over
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  Speaker 1: the period. This figure is substantially higher than the 53
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  Speaker 1: incidents reported in the academic year prior to October 7, 2023.
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  Speaker 1: The majority of these incidents, 149 out of 178, were
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  Speaker 1: categorized as abusive behavior, including verbal abuse and antisemitic comments,
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  Speaker 1: as well as graffiti and written abuse. The report also
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  Speaker 1: documented two incidents of extreme violence, six assaults, eight instances
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  Speaker 1: of damage to Jewish property, 10 direct threats, and 3
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  Speaker 1: cases of mass-produced antisemitic literature. The CSD noted that 16
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  Speaker 1: incidents were perpetrated by university staff and faculty, while 61
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  Speaker 1: were committed by students, and another 28 by student societies. Significantly,
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  Speaker 1: 62% of these incidents referenced Israel, Gaza, Hamas, or October 7,
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  Speaker 1: with an additional 26% referencing Hitler, Nazis, or the Holocaust.
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  Speaker 1: CSD Chief Executive Mark Gardner stated that Jews are still
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  Speaker 1: facing a very serious campus antisemitism problem. In response, UK
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  Speaker 1: Education Secretary Lucy Powell emphasised that universities have a duty
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  Speaker 1: to ensure Jewish students and staff can study and work safely,
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  Speaker 1: calling for a zero-tolerance approach and noting the provision of
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  Speaker 1: training for university staff. Shifting to French politics, allegations of
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  Speaker 1: past antisemitic remarks by Jordan Bardella, running mate to far-right
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  Speaker 1: leader Marine Le Pen, have surfaced. The investigative website Mediapart
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  Speaker 1: published claims about comments Bardella allegedly made over a decade
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  Speaker 1: ago as a youth member of the National Front, referencing
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  Speaker 1: supposed Jewish banking monopolies and other anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Bardella
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  Speaker 1: has vehemently denied the accusations, calling them delusional and announcing
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  Speaker 1: he will pursue a libel case. Marine Le Pen and
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  Speaker 1: her National Rally Party have closed ranks behind Bardella, characterizing
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  Speaker 1: the allegations as an attempt to undermine his presidential campaign
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  Speaker 1: and expressing absolute confidence in him. This controversy touches a
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  Speaker 1: sensitive nerve for the national rally. As Le Pen has
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  Speaker 1: worked to distance the party from the legacy of her father,
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  Speaker 1: Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is known for Holocaust denial and
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  Speaker 1: hate speech convictions, an Israeli minister defended Bardella, citing his
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  Speaker 1: meetings with Holocaust survivors and speeches against antisemitism. Jonathan Arfi,
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  Speaker 1: head of the French Jewish Umbrella Group CRIF, stated that
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  Speaker 1: if substantiated, the alleged comments would represent a stinging repudiation
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  Speaker 1: of the party's efforts to distance itself from antisemitism. In
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  Speaker 1: New York City, Mayor Zoran Mamdani has unveiled a new
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  Speaker 1: strategy to combat antisemitism, backed by over $ 30 million in funding.
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  Speaker 1: The plan includes increased security funding for synagogues, efforts to
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  Speaker 1: integrate Jewish history into public school education, and the revival
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  Speaker 1: of an interagency security working group. However, the strategy has
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  Speaker 1: drawn criticism from some Jewish leaders and officials. Critics argue
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  Speaker 1: that the plan omits a definition of antisemitism and its
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  Speaker 1: overlap with anti-Zionism, failing to address how anti-Israel rhetoric can
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  Speaker 1: fuel antisemitism. This criticism follows Mamdani's decision on his first day,
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  Speaker 1: in office to revoke executive orders from his predecessor. that
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  Speaker 1: adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and restricted city
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  Speaker 1: agencies from participating in boycotts of Israel. While some welcomed
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  Speaker 1: the funding, others, like the Watchdog organization source, noted that
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  Speaker 1: attacking or excluding Zionists can and has become a convenient
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  Speaker 1: way to disguise antisemitism as political disagreement. Israel's Consul General Afir,
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  Speaker 1: Akounis urged Mamdani to re-adopt the IHRA definition. and stated
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  Speaker 1: that the mayor's language against Israel is a fundamental reason
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  Speaker 1: for the rise of antisemitism in New York City. Prime
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  Speaker 1: Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized Mamdani. The plan is being
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  Speaker 1: rolled out amid a reported increase in antisemitic incidents in
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  Speaker 1: New York City, which account for more than half of
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  Speaker 1: the city's confirmed hate crimes. In Maine, Democratic Senate nominee
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  Speaker 1: Troy Jackson has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
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  Speaker 1: and stated he will not vote for US military aid
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  Speaker 1: to the Jewish state if elected. Jackson also called Israeli
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  Speaker 1: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal. Reporting indicates this
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  Speaker 1: stance aligns with a broader trend where candidates accusing Israel
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  Speaker 1: of genocide have found success in democratic primaries. Elsewhere, a
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  Speaker 1: smear campaign has erupted against the Berlin Left Party following
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  Speaker 1: state elections, with accusations of antisemitism. The campaign involved figures
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  Speaker 1: from the far-right AFD, Springer Press, and representatives from CDU, SPD,
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  Speaker 1: and Greens. Gregor Jaisi, speaking for the left party, conceded
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  Speaker 1: that some members are clearly overdoing their criticism of Israel.
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  Speaker 1: The campaign is seen by some as targeting voters and
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  Speaker 1: criminalizing popular rejection of the situation in Gaza. Finally, in
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  Speaker 1: a debate for New York's 17th congressional district, incumbent Republican U.S.
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  Speaker 1: House Rep. Mike Lawler and Democrat Kate Conley sparred over
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and support for Israel. Lawler sought to link Conley
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  Speaker 1: to NYC Mayor Zoran Mamdani's anti-Israel positions, while Conley condemned
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  Speaker 1: rising antisemitism and voiced support for bipartisan legislation. A report
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  Speaker 1: also briefly notes that antisemitism is thriving among young people online.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.
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  Speaker 1: Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't
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  Speaker 1: miss the next update. This report was generated with AI
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  Speaker 1: assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with
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  Speaker 1: primary sources.